Stem Cells Without Eggs

By Alice ParkWednesday, Dec. 20, 2006

SANDY HUFFAKER / GETTY

Not to be outdone, a Japanese team at Kyoto University took skin cells from mice and with the right chemical and biological brew, prompted them to generate stem cells. If the technique works with human cells, it could eliminate the need for eggs and embryos altogether, and bypass the sticky ethical questions that have limited human embryonic studies in the U.S.